Sunday, October 17, 2004

Corey Smith Report

You know, it just isn't going to happen. Every year people say that this is the year where Corey Smith breaks out. But so far, those people are 0-5. He came into this season with line of .261/.332/.407 in 1685 career minor league at bats. This season he held form, hitting .249/.347/.419. If you're really looking for signs of progress, you can look at his walk rate, which is now pretty good (63 in 454 AB). But he isn't hitting. The reports on his defense are still pretty bad. He has athleticism, but his hands are questionable and his footwork is still a mess. You hate to call a guy a bust before his 23rd birthday, but Smith hasn't showed us much of anything yet, and I don't think he's going to.